Arsenal's Jack Wilshere sorry for smoking on holiday after the World Cup

England midfielder admits it was 'unacceptable' for him to have smoked in Las
Vegas and that he is running out of chances to cement his reputation as one
of his country's leading lights

By Nick Callow

10:30PM BST 26 Jul 2014

Jack Wilshere has admitted it was “unacceptable” for him to have smoked on holiday in Las Vegas and that he is running out of chances to cement his reputation as one of the leading lights of the English game.

The Arsenal midfielder was widely criticised after photographs emerged of him smoking in a swimming pool, surrounded by friends and members of his family. Manager Arsene Wenger expressed his disapproval of Wilshere’s behaviour, and has since held talks with him over it, and the 22-year-old - who disappointed for England during the World Cup and endured a difficult season at the Emirates Stadium - has now admonished himself for his conduct.

“The smoking? Of course I regret it,” he said. “I’ve been seen before doing it. I said then I made a mistake and I have made a mistake again.People make mistakes.

“I’m young and I’ll learn from it. I realise the consequences it has and the effect on kids growing up. I have kids myself and I don’t want them growing up to think their dad smokes and it’s OK for a footballer to smoke because it’s not. It’s unacceptable and I will accept the consequences and I will move on.”

Neither Wenger nor Wilshere will divulge the contents of their meeting and what those 'consequences’ entail, but Wilshere realises he now has to prove himself all over again.

Speaking after coaching some New York children in an Arsenal coaching clinic on their pre-season trip to America, Wilshere added: “It does motivate me to try harder in training and not just in training; it motivates me to improve because a lot of people have started to talk [about me] - people who don’t know me but want to have an opinion. Now and it is down to me.

“This is a big season for me. I came back early to pre-season to show people my commitment. I am fully committed to the club and to my job and I want to show everyone that.

“Over the past few seasons I’ve had a few injuries. This season I’m looking to have a really great pre-season and get a really good base of fitness and take that into the season.”